Saturday, August 2, 2014

"What is surprising is the kin ships [sic] being developed among citizens of Lake Worth. Seldom is there an issue in Lake Worth which causes the have's and the have not's to play on the same team. It is apparent, some with the wherewithal to support the rebuilding of Lake Worth selfishly cry it will cost them too much. At the same time, there are those who pay no taxes who don't want the bond issue either. They may be afraid their property value will rise and they may have to pay some taxes. Standing across the aisle from those extremes are those who will see a tax increase and are willing to accept it to improve living conditions in Lake Worth. There are many in Lake Worth who think Lake Worth is only where they venture, and would never venture into many of the neighborhoods. Neighborhoods where there has never been adequate fire hydrants, sidewalks or paved streets. They don't feel a need to include those citizens in this 'diverse', 'Old Florida feel' community. This issue, like many issues preceding it will splinter the populous and this is exactly what a vocal minority in Lake Worth finds exciting and will always twist facts, issue misleading statements and attempt to make them sound like they came from some authority."[and later...]"All that can be said is 'paranoia strikes deep'. This group only tries to instill paranoia."Also in the Lake Worth Herald this week, our own Pelican Pete had something to say:"It is easy to sit back and be a sniper intent on halting improvement in the City. It takes more of a man to stand behind the positive, honest intent of those Elected to govern. Snipers exist in every level of government."For the entire editorial, read more City of Lake Worth news, and enjoy the clever musings of our Pelican Pete go to: LWHerald.com

For all those curious about the curious activity of the Citizens Against Unfair Taxation (CAUT) PAC, it's a double-feature this week! We have two reports (P3/amendment and P4) with curiously little information. Are they not being transparent?

The first report is an amendment to the P3 report (7/12/14-7/18/14); once again they show no contributions and only one expenditure. The Citizens Against Unfair Taxation (CAUT) are doing their best to re-circulate the money they're raising into our local economy. Raise money local, spend money local! The CAUTs ordered door hangers from BURBANK, CALIFORNIA 91505. Not kidding.

The new report, P4 (7/19/14-7/25/14), again shows NO contributions (hmmmm hmmmm) and two expenditures. Lynn Anderson shows an in-kind contribution for $18 (voter list) and Laurence McNamara shows an in-kind for $13.72 (zip ties to attach signs to stakes). Lynn Anderson, who is lovingly referred to as 'Pinkie the Revisionist Blogging Clown' here is one of the highest CAUT contributors with $268 in checks and in-kind. Well, at least from what they've reported so far.

Am I to conclude the PAC formed by Atlantis-resident Dennis Dorsey and Katie McGiveron has NOT received ANY contributions since 7/10/14, seventeen days ago? David Plouffe at the White House will want answers as well as CBS Evening News, Dateline NBC, and the Today Show. I will let you know what I hear. We are including the United Nations, the entire Starfleet Command structure and the United Federation of Planets in all of our transmissions and communications.

Monday, August 4th @6:30 pm Brogues Downunder hosted by Downtown Jewel NAMonday, August 4th @ 7:00 The Mayan Center 430 N. "G" ST. Hosted by Tropical Ridge NAFriday, August 22nd @ 6PM The Lake Worth Playhouse Hosted by the CitySaturday, 23rd @ 1PM The Lake Worth Playhouse Hosted by the CitySaturday, August 23rd @ 5PM First Congregational Church 1415 N "K" St College Park NAPLEASE NOTE: Meetings hosted by NA's.. The times posted are the times they start their meetings.. Where the Speaker is in the lineup is up to each NA... If early, enjoy the fellowship.

And it will also benefit the water quality in the Lake Worth Lagoon by reducing storm runoff into the eastern part of the C-51 canal. That is fresh water with many contaminants and silt that will not end up in the Lagoon. Plus, this project will create a reservoir to conserve water during drought conditions and direct more water to the south. Click title for link. From the Town Crier article:

The Palm Beach County League of Cities recently learned from a report about the C-51 Reservoir Project that the $433 million project on the Palm Beach Aggregates land primarily will benefit municipalities in Broward County and southern Palm Beach County.At the league’s July 23 meeting in Juno Beach, attendees learned that the project is designed to store billions of gallons of water that are otherwise released to tide, disrupting the ecological balance of the Lake Worth Lagoon. The project will release the water instead to areas to the south that face serious water shortages.[later in article]“The C-51 is considered more of a regional project than a local project, although governments in the area and adjacent to the C-51 Basin need to be a part of the discussion and formulation of this project as they continue to get into more details,” Tropepe [Lisa Tropepe, an engineer with the Engenuity Group and past president of the league] said. “There’s always a concern about the balancing of excess water in the wet season and the lack thereof in the dry season.”SFWMD staff has confirmed the feasibility of moving water from the C-51 Canal through Lake Worth Drainage District system using the E-1 Canal through southern Palm Beach County to Broward County. Additional analysis is being conducted to determine seepage losses or gains of water moved into Broward County.

Friday, August 1, 2014

We did a loop around the city - no incidents, just a few minor falls and mechanical mishaps. The Lake Worth ride takes place the first Friday of the month, leaving Bryant Park around 7 p.m. There were close to 100 riders.

The Lake Avenue (Lake Worth) Bridge, over the Intracoastal Waterway in the city of Lake Worth, will have the westbound outside lane closed on Thursday, August 7th from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., for deck welding and handrail repair.

This was sent to me as a message on Facebook yesterday. Here it is unedited.

"This is the typical inferior element which only talent is:Smearing their betters.Losers like that primitive non-contributing to human well being tragic,types with empty,useless lives, are only capable of throwingmud at dignified ,charitable Lake Worth, highly succcessful Citizens like Mr. Dorsey.He donated the swimming pool to lake Worth High School.The tragically useless mudslinging far from perfect, ape, has donated only street thug style attacks, on known dignified Lake Worth Citizens , has contributed only foul, miserable, nasty comments on their betters, the known good,moral Lake Worth Citizens.Only idiots like this inferior one, who knows nothing about the economic damage to the City and Highest tax payers, threatening, for nefarious infra structure plans, with a Bond which this idiot knows nothing about the process of issuance,runners, Bondholder,costs attached to this dirty deal, wants to give his useless ,as usual street thug style attack. on his betters, who are aware of the full damaging financial impact for fellow highest taxpayers!A 30 year $63,000,000 Bond at maturity will have cost Lake Worth highest Taxpayers $131,000,000,- for only 30% of our infrastructure repairs." - Dee McNamara, July 9, 2014

John Rinald's comments on the blog run by a major contributor to Citizens Against Unfair Taxation political committee (more than her own property tax bill) from July 2013. O.K., the city came up with a plan to generate the money to repair our infrastructure. So why now all the negativity?

On 7/30/2014 at 6:50pm the victim arrived at 1100 block of South K Street, Lake Worth, to meet with friends. Upon arrival the victim was confronted by the suspect, CODY MINCEY. The suspect stole the victim's gold bracelet and fled back to his residence. As the victim was trying to understand what just occurred the suspect exited his residence and again confronted the victim demanding more property. The victim refused and the suspect entered the victims pocket. They began to struggle when MINCEY produced a small black semi auto and pistol whipped the victim. MINCEY was able to steal $50 during fight with victim. During the fight MINCEY backed away from the victim, racking the slide on the gun. Fearing being shot the victim fled.While conducting the investigation, PBSO Detectives learned the suspect barricaded himself inside an apartment that does not belong to him. The apartment was locked down where announcements were made by PBSO. After approximately 20 minutes deputies were able to coax the suspect to surrender.Suspect made incriminating statements and was later transported to Palm Beach County Jail. A search warrant was drafted and executed in the MINCEY’s residence. Located in the residence were two black (realistic looking) pellet gun's with metal frames. Also located was a Remington 12 Gauge shotgun with the serial number removed.

Soon your doorknob may have a hanger from a Political Action Committee formed outside the borders of Lake Worth, FL. The name of this Outside Political group is 'Citizens Against Unfair Taxation' or CAUT. This Political group was formed by Katie McGiveron and City of Atlantis resident Dennis Dorsey. The CAUT door hanger on your door knob, in Lake Worth FL, was produced and printed in CALIFORNIA. Burbank, CA, actually. Burbank is 3,174 miles from Lake Worth, FL. This is according to their latest treasurer report filing - an amendment to a previous report. I guess they forgot they bought some fliers?

A very long trip for a flyer that wants to "educate" you on why our City is fine just fine the "Way It Is." Can we get a carbon footprint estimate on this shipment please?

Here is "About Us" from the company in California where Dorsey ordered his door hangers:

"Ten years ago, Got Print [GotPrint.com] started out as a small, family-run business in Toluca Lake, California, with a goal that would soon become a tradition: to provide fast, economical, and convenient service without sacrificing quality. In no time at all, this steadfast tradition helped us evolve into a continually growing and dependable company."

Are we to conclude that Dennis Dorsey, Katie McGiveron, Lynn Anderson, Laurence and Dee McNamara, Jo-Ann Golden, Commissioner McVoy [et al] believe Our City, Lake Worth, is incapable of reproducing the success of a small business like GotPrint right here in Lake Worth? I know plenty of local printers that would have liked to have this business, however small. I can even understand a Lake Worth business not wanting to take the work for political/business reasons, but they at least could have used a Palm Beach County printer.

Maybe when the bond passes and the improvements are done to the public infrastructure in the Park of Commerce, a dynamic printer like this could locate here, add to our industrial/commercial tax base and employ Lake Worth residents.

Excellent summary of the LW2020 bond issue and ballot question. I like the approach used by the Post reporter of the claim/counter-claim format. People are also reminded that Dennis Dorsey is an Atlantis resident. Katie McGiveron is clearly on the defensive with this quote. Click title for link to article.

Katie McGiveron, who lives in Lake Osborne, doesn’t buy the city’s arguments. In June, she and Atlantis resident Dennis Dorsey formed Citizens Against Unfair Taxation, a campaign group to defeat Lake Worth 2020, the bond referendum. As of July 21, they’ve raised $2,150.“It’s not that I hate Lake Worth,” McGiveron said, “It’s not a question of ‘We don’t have enough money.’ It’s more of a question of ‘You mismanaged the money I gave you.’” She doesn’t trust the city with the money, especially when the tax bill for homeowners will go up.

The 30-second commercial began airing on television stations last week, and came after a group opposed to the train service released its own television advertisement criticizing the project.On Wednesday, the company sent out a mass email asking recipients to visit a website that allows supports to submit endorsement letters to local leaders.“As the project progresses, it is important for governmental entities and elected officials to hear your supportive voice,” the email said.

Greetings again,Great news.If you have missed one of the district meetings on the topic of the Lake Worth 20/20 Plan - or, you still have questions you would like to ask a knowledgeable person - Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association has GREAT NEWS for you. Michael Bornstein and Jamie Brown will be at our meeting on Monday with information and, hopefully, answers to your questions. Don't forget August 26th is voting day so this is great timing.Once again, our meeting is Monday August 4th at 7:00pm, at the Guatemalan Maya Center (430 North G street). Look forward to seeing you.Carolyn

Dearest "mb" - In your comment today under "This just in from a loyal and concerned reader...", you reported that Dennis Dorsey is no longer treasurer of the Citizens Against Unfair Taxation PAC. Well, you are wrong. I went to the Supervisor of Elections office today and retrieved copies of the paperwork that created this Palm Beach County political committee. They consist of the same three pieces of paper I retrieved from there two weeks or so ago. There has been no change in treasurer. Why such a vehement denial of the facts, "mb?" Is there a problem with that?

Knock Knock said...Q: Who's there?A: Katie Q: Whatya want?A: I need you to vote no on August 26 on the city planQ: Why vote no on the plan?A: We can't afford the planQ: Can't afford what plan?A: The crazy city plan to borrow money to fix infrastructureQ: The infrastructure needs to be improved, we need a plan, right?A: Yes but not this planQ: But the city has a plan to fix the roads, right?A: It's a bad plan trust meQ: Can I see your plan so I can compare the two?A: I don't have a planQ: Why don't you have a plan?A: I am not an elected official and it's not my responsibility to planQ: Who is responsible for a plan to fix the infrastructure?A: The city needs to planQ: You mean the elected officials have to plan?A: Yes they need to planQ: So our elected officials have a plan?A: Yes, but the plan is......Q: And you don't have a plan, Katie?A: No like I told you it is not my responsibility to planQ: So my choice is either vote Yes for a plan or No for no plan?A: There is a better plan than the city planQ: Why didn't you run for office, Katie, you could have helped make a better plan if you had a better plan, right?A: You're being silly a plan is not my responsibilityQ: You did say you didn't want the responsibility to plan, right?A: I have no plan and I need to goQ: Thank you for your time. I plan to vote Yes. Your plan to not run for elected office is an excellent plan indeed.

This comes from today's Palm Beach Post's Letters to the Editor section, Thursday, July 31, 2014:

"I am sickened and appalled at the photo of a man holding live lobsters in the air destined for a cruel death. The lobster is a living animal, not merely 'food.' Had they been kittens or puppies, would you have run such a shameful photo? We decry, rightfully, cruelty to dogs and some other animals, but applaud those who rip lobsters from their homes for the express purpose of slaughtering and eating them. Just because something is socially acceptable, that doesn’t make it right. I smell something cooking, and it’s called hypocrisy."

I wonder if this person is a strict vegetarian or if he/she buys his cod fillets from the frozen aisle at Publix. Few people have lobsters as pets. I remember the adorable "Snooki" saying this:

Eliot Kleinberg reminds us that it was only 50 years ago that Palm Beach County emerged from its segregationist past. Sometimes I wonder how far we have advanced from those days, but it is instructive to remember what passed as a normal practice at one time. Click title for link.

Florida had its share of strife as it dug out from segregation, but as ugly as it was, it wasn’t nearly what other Southern states went through. Often, acts of integration were done quietly, with the establishment realizing change could come peacefully or not, but it was coming.
And, by 1964, it had the clout of the federal government, in the form of the federal civil rights bill president Lyndon B. Johnson had signed on the Fourth of July.
The more rural Glades area took a little longer to come around. It was a half century ago this week, on Wednesday, July 30, 1964, when the first restaurants in the area were integrated “without incident,” The Palm Beach Post reported.

One of the Town of Palm Beach's alternatives for what they refer to as "Reach 8" in their beach renourishment program would be to go through the Lake Worth Beach. We have denied them access for such activity, the last time was when Drautz was Mayor. They were able to get access through another condominium property, but now that property's HOA is asking questions and has their own consultant. Their concern is mostly about the poor quality of sand, which was a complaint by Lake Worth beach-goers the last time renourishment happened in this area of the island. Click title for link. From the article:

The building at 3360 S. Ocean Blvd. has allowed the town use of its property for previous dune work and is considering doing so again this time. But residents of the building and members of the Coalition to Save Our Shoreline, a group of concerned condo residents, have asked the town to explain its design details before the condo association decides whether to allow the trucks onto its property.Most of the questions are about the source, grain size and volume of sand to be placed on the dune.Richard Hunegs, president of the 3360 condo association and of SOS, could not be reached for comment. But Madelyn Greenberg, an SOS officer and 3360 resident, said the town has used poor-quality sand in some of its past beach and dune fills.“SOS and 3360 would love to have this project go ahead,” Greenberg said Wednesday. “But we can’t agree to anything that violates any environmental laws or that is doomed to fail. We need information to make an educated decision. We don’t want to see a poor grade of sand washed out to sea.”

The new expanded 40 page guidebook has information on all the NAPC Neighborhoods including neighborhood boundaries, when and where meetings are held and contact information for each one. Also included is a handy Directory for the City of Lake Worth with contact information for all Departments. The NAPC Neighborhood Guide is FREE and always available on the NAPC "Front Porch", at Neighborhood Association meetings, public events and most City buildings.To be included among the generous merchants and service providers for next year's edition, please contact the Neighborhood Association Presidents' Council at napcinfo@gmail.com

Big box stores are getting bigger, but maybe not for long. It seems that online shopping is making a big dent in big box (Walmart, Target) sales. Check out this article which predicts the slow demise of big box stores as consumers are more exacting with their choices after researching on line or just getting things delivered to their homes. Click title for link to the Palm Beach Post article on local expansion plans.

The Walmart on Indiantown Road will become a Walmart Supercenter when an expansion project to add a grocery store with a deli and about 75 more employees is complete in about six months.The Bentonville, Ark.-based company, which now has about 210 employees at the 128,000-square-foot building just east of Chasewood Plaza, is spending about $12 million to boost the building to about 165,000 square feet. By comparison, The Home Depot, just east of Walmart, is about 102,000 square feet.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

This Palm Beach Post editorial takes a strong stand in supporting the policy change at PBSO to not detain people brought in on minor offenses for immigration status issues. They make many good points. Click title for link.

The practical effect is that jail officials and local police become an extension of the federal immigration system. A cop may bring someone to the jail on a charge of loitering or driving without a license, and a few days later that person could find him or herself on a track toward deportation. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Palm Beach County’s jail was detaining more than 500 people a year at the request of federal immigration officials.This is a dangerous trend, because it breeds distrust of police in the county’s many immigrant communities. That distrust discourages people in these vulnerable groups from calling police or ambulances when they need help, and also from reporting crimes. This only increases their likelihood of being targeted for crimes, and it undermines outreach efforts by local governments.

More details revealed on grade crossing improvements necessary to allow quiet zones along the FEC railroad with the upcoming All Aboard Florida rail service. Click title for link and check out the video too. It looks like there will still be a need to fund crossing improvements from local municipalities. From the article:

The company is adding a second track to the Florida East Coast Railway and rebuilding dozens of South Florida crossings to safety levels needed for passenger trains.
Officials say those improvements – such as new lights and gates - should put municipalities in a good position to qualify for quiet zone status at 115 crossings in Palm Beach County, 67 in Broward and 19 in Miami-Dade.
Quiet zones are areas with enough safety features that the federal government will allow trains to pass through without sounding their horns.
"All Aboard Florida represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to realize this benefit at the lowest possible cost, the quickest possible timeframe and the easiest possible process," said company president Michael Reininger.

Seems to me that they should take a month off to cool off a bit. Things got out of hand again last week, this time at the end of the ride. Check out the video made at the time - a little shaky, but it does put you in the midst of chaos. Click title for link.

"The night was going extremely smoothly until towards the end, when some of the individuals who were riding didn't know where to go because [Strack, Critical Mass leader Ray Strack] decided to change the route of the ride without telling anyone," says Fort Lauderdale Police Detective DeAnna Greenlaw. "That's when he got into an altercation with an officer."According to a probable-cause form, the motorcycle cop leading the escort became confused when Strack and two other cyclists rode far ahead of the group."I rode forward to contact them, but I was immediately met with resistance when I told them to stop," the report by Hector Martinez says. "Seeing [Strack's] reaction, I turned around and notified lead motor sergeant to resume the ride over the bridge and head west to the preplanned route."

Editor's Note: It has been many days since this was posted and no one has offered an alternative analysis of Mr. Ovtime's numbers. I will publish any alternative analysis by any party if one wishes to challenge the findings.My wife and I are investigating whether to operate a Bed & Breakfast in Lake Worth, FL. A good friend who lives in town went over the pros and cons. For the most part, it all evened out taking into account the improving economy, a stable municipal government, and overall attractiveness of Lake Worth as an investment opportunity. The one outlier is the city's proposed bond issue up for a vote in August of this year. We are really not the patient type so we had an enterprising researcher (Nick Ovtime, CPA) advise us about what we could expect if the bond issue passes. A big tax bill could be the deal breaker.The property is actually two properties on Golf Vista Boulevard. It overlooks the Municipal golf course and very close to the intracoastal. It has so much potential, however, more taxes would chop away at our renovation budget.Here is the information our crack researcher discovered:The property is two parcels with 7 rooms.According to PAPA the assessed value was $407,361 in 2011, $448,098 in 2012, and $492,908 in 2013.The total taxes for those years was $12,288 ($10,390 AV/$1,898 non-AV) in 2011, $12,792 (total AV/non-AV) in 2012, and $13,865 ($11,975 AV/$1,890 non-AV) in 2013.The AV taxes have Lake Worth operating at $2,708.28 for the 2013 taxable value. Multiplying .00345 times $492,908 yields a tax of $1700.53 ($141.71 per month/$32.70 per week); the current adjusted rate of .00318 yields $1,567.45 ($130 per month/$30.14 per week).Mr. Ovtime went on to divide that by the 7 rooms we are considering on the property and that total is $4.30 per room/per week. If my wife and I manage a 50% occupancy rate (taking into account our media savvy and business skills that is a no-brainer) the increase we would expect if the bond issue passes is $1.23 per room/per week.Our project manager, Ms. Renee Sance, anticipates room rates advertised from $149 to $249 per night.Mr. Ovtime cautioned his numbers could change. But even if they did he anticipated his $1.23 per room/per night number calculation would be off by pennies.At our last meeting my project manager and CPA concluded that if the Lake Worth 2020 bond measure passes the impact on our future B&B would be insignificant. Ms. Sance even suggested the bond passage would become an advantage for the project, she reasoned if the whole city looked more appealing and more people frequented the downtown, we would attract more customers.That's why Renee Sance is such a good manager. She can see past next week.

This is a sad story and a cautionary tale. The 2011 re-write (elimination) of growth management controls severely impacted state authority of local comprehensive plan review. There was a need for this oversight in Florida and there are going to be causalities. The rollback of the 1000 Friends of Florida strength is one of them. Much of this article, click title for link, is about a Joanne Davis who lives in Lake Worth and worked for them for 15 years. Due to budget cuts, she works for them no longer.

A petroleum drilling firm in Collier county is fighting back regulators at the Department of Environmental Protection for the right to continue their past drilling practices, which include a form of fracking. Click title for link.

The Flagler Memorial Bridge spans are in the "open" position with no anticipated impacts to marine traffic. Restrictions and openings at the Royal Park Bridge and Southern Boulevard Bridge have been adjusted as follows: The Royal Park Bridge opens once per hour at 15 minutes past the hour with no openings from 7:16 a.m. to 9:14 a.m. and from 4:16 p.m. to 6:14 p.m., Monday through Friday. On weekends and Federal holidays, the bridge opens twice per hour at 15 minutes past the hour and 45 minutes past the hour. The Southern Boulevard Bridge opens twice per hour on the hour and at 30 minutes past the hour with no openings from 7:31 a.m. to 9:29 a.m. and from 4:01 p.m. to 5:59 p.m., Monday through Friday. On weekends and Federal holidays, the bridge opens twice per hour on the hour and at 30 minutes past the hour. Information is published in the Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners at www.navcen.uscg.gov. For information about the Flagler Memorial Bridge Replacement Project, please visit the project website: www.flaglerbridge.com or contact Public Information Officer Tish Burgher by phone at (561) 702-9096 or email at tish@qcausa.com. Southern Boulevard, over the Intracoastal Waterway in the City of West Palm Beach and the Town of Palm Beach, will have alternating traffic, 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., Monday, July 28, through Thursday, July 31, for work order repairs.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Readers familiar with the local interwebs will recognize kkss21 as Katie McGiveron's "handle." Here she rants about another meeting to discuss the LW2020 plan. I guess someone doesn't want to let the real story get in the way of their story. Katie is leading the Citizens Against Unfair Taxation PAC, a political committee formed under the auspices of Palm Beach County, along with former Mayor and Atlantis resident Dennis Dorsey. Mr. Dorsey pays nearly $13,000 a year in Atlantis for property taxes.

I guess Katie thinks that the city has done enough educating the public with previous meetings.

Here are a few quotable quotes from West Palm Beach City Commissioner Shanon Materio. Click title to listen to archived audio of the show. Most readers will know that Shanon and her husband Phil own property and a business on Dixie Hwy. in Lake Worth, McMow Art Glass. She also had a seat on the Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency board for a while.

She is a supporter of and an advocate for the LW 2020 bond initiative that will appear on the August 26th ballot. Here are her views on the plan which you can hear for yourself at the 49 minute mark of the show:

"My husband [Phil Materio] and I learned as much as we could about it. We did as much homework as we could which is easy to do here. And we have the real numbers, there's a lot of numbers being thrown out there, we have the real numbers and the financial impact on us, taxable, and we know that our taxes are going to go up. There going to go up about $800 a year. We have a big piece of commercial property that's 10,000 square feet on Dixie [Highway]. But we also own a house behind it.So altogether we support it a hundred percent. A hundred and twenty percent. If you could support it two hundred percent I would support it two hundred percent. This is going to be, first of all, the beginning of a new Lake Worth. And a lot of the things people are afraid of ? I'm not quite sure what they're afraid of. To be able to get our dirt roads paved, to get our sidewalks fixed, to get our curbs fixed."

And then again at the 51:00 minute mark:

"It's [the LW2020 bond plan] a big important step. It's the first time that I can remember, since we did downtown, that there is something on the horizon that is exciting. And that you can see that this is going to have important results for everybody."

Short piece by Eliot Kleinberg on the West Palm Beach election coming up in March of 2015. No one is getting a free pass this time. He reviews which seats are up, which includes the Mayor's. Click title for link.

When West Palm Beach commissioners Shanon Materio, Kimberly Mitchell and Sylvia Moffett were reelected without opposition earlier this year, Mayor Jeri Muoio said at the time she supported the three and would have campaigned for them but wished, for democracy’s sake, that some others had filed to run.In the 2015 election, she’s getting her wish. All three races are contested — including hers.

Three excerpts from the Lake Worth Herald editorial titled, "Now is the Time", July 24, 2014, on the City of Lake Worth's bond referendum on August 26:"This is not the commission who neglected the infrastructure. Those commissions are no longer in control of the purse strings. They are no longer able to mismanage a bond issue. Many past commissions did some great things for Lake Worth, some things we are now finding were done at the expense of proper infrastructure maintenance. Now is the best time to fix the foundation of our city and make it better for future generations."[later...] "There are pros and cons to every decision the City makes and this issue is no different. Overall, there is nobody standing up and saying 'Our roads are wonderful,' 'Our water pipes are just fine,' or 'It's okay to keep patching pipes and potholes at much greater expense than necessary.' It will never be more cost effective than now to repair the weaknesses in the infrastructure and prepare Lake Worth for the future."[and...] "No business is going to swallow higher taxes without finding a way to pass it along. How much is it really? Five dollars a month rent increase? Three dollars a night on hospitality accommodations? Maybe a few pennies on retail items? Businesses won't cry about that, they will complain about the total annual amount and never openly admit they will do what it takes to pass it along and stay in business. In five years, when the roads are all paved, cleaner water is being delivered, rain whisks away down the storm sewers and we don't flood, nobody will say 'Darn I'm glad we did it.' They will take it for granted. It will be a way of life in Lake Worth."For the entire editorial, read more City of Lake Worth news, and enjoy the clever musings of our Pelican Pete go to: LWHerald.com

There was a time, not so long ago, when our resident naysayers didn't like the notion of Publix coming to our downtown. They didn't see the need for the CRA's investment in the project, could care less about the infrastructure improvements as part of the project and preferred to talk about plastic bags and where Publix sources their tomatoes. Oh, yeah, they were also saying it would ruin single family neighborhoods.

In these images, Tom McGow highlights what conditions were like prior to the arrival of the grocery store now and makes the argument for the store.

Everyone should get downtown and check out the new additions to our art scene. Where once were plain walls, now there are colorful murals. Read about the Post's take on display, click title for link. Here is a bit from the article:

The man behind the colorful event was Bruce Webber, who hopes Lake Worth will take after Wynwood, Miami’s booming art district.Bruce knew art was changing when the Florida palm tree paintings that hung in his 44-year-old Lake Worth art gallery were just not selling like they used to.He was looking for something fresh, and during the 20th annual Lake Worth Street Painting Festival back in February, he found it.[later in article]Four more mural-paintings are slated to take place again in November, continuing the push for an active art district in the heart of Lake Worth.“This is only the beginning,” Bruce said. “If you don’t change with time, you’re going to get left behind. That’s exactly what we’re trying to do.”

College Park Neighborhood Special MeetingSaturday, August 23rd5-7 PMFirst Congregational Church1415 North K StreetEveryone is invited!The College Park Neighborhood Association is holding a special meeting on Saturday, August 23rd to allow friends and neighbors another opportunity to hear directly from the City about the Lake Worth 2020 plan and the bond referendum that will appear on the ballot in the August 26th election.Representatives from the City will be on hand to present detailed information about what the plan will include city wide and block by block, the proposed timetable for the improvements that are planned as well as what passage of the bond will cost individual property owners.A special table will be set up with City staff members and computers to calculate the cost in actual dollar amounts based on information retrieved from the Property Appraisers website for individual properties using the most conservative parameters.As a Neighborhood Association, College Park neither supports nor opposes any candidate or question that comes before the voters. The purpose of this meeting is to offer neighbors an opportunity to learn more about the bond referendum so that they can make the most informed choice when they vote. This is not a formal debate on the question from those in favor of or opposed to the bond. This is strictly to provide information to anyone who wants it. Comments and questions will be welcomed and answered.Neighbors from anywhere in the City of Lake Worth are invited to attend and participate. Coffee, cool beverages and light refreshments will be served. Polling place information for the election on Tuesday, August 26th will be available. The question as it will appear on the ballot is as follows:OFFICIAL BALLOTCITY OF LAKE WORTH, FLORIDABOND REFERENDUM ELECTION – AUGUST 26, 2014APPROVAL OF "LAKE WORTH 2020" BONDS FOR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WITHIN THE CITY.Shall the City of Lake Worth be authorized to issue bonds to acquire and improve roadway, sidewalk, streetlight, streetscape, drainage and water and sewer facilities located within the City in one or more series not exceeding a total principal amount of $63,500,000, payable from an annual ad valorem tax maturing not later than 30 years from the date of each issuance and bearing interest at a rate not exceeding the maximum legal rate?For bonds _____ Against bonds